Michael Swickard's new novel about New Mexico

Gov. Susana Martinez's administration
is tightening controls over capital improvement financing by requiring that
local governments, school districts and others in New Mexico have a current
audit before state money is released for a project.

Martinez issued an executive
order on Thursday to ensure that capital project financing goes only to
governmental organizations that have completed their annual audits and
corrected any problems identified by auditors.

The administration developed the
new guidelines after reviewing this year's $215 million in capital projects and
determining that some were for governmental groups late in submitting financial
audits required under current law.

New Mexico is currently experiencing the worst
drought in the country according to theU.S. Drought Monitor.

In just the past week the percentage of New
Mexico under extreme drought shot up from 4 percent
to 25 percent. The U.S. Drought Monitor map shows the state blanketed in red. This
is the third consecutive year of historic drought nationwide.

In the southwest New Mexico and Texas
have been hit the hardest. Average rainfall in New Mexico is down by more than half.

New
MexicoStateUniversity's next president is set to be
announced next week.

Regents plan tentatively to reveal their pick on
Monday.

Finalists include NMSU business dean and former Gov. Garrey Carruthers,
former TexasTechUniversity president Guy Bailey,
former University of Nevada, Las Vegas
president David Ashley, former TexasA&MUniversity
president Elsa Murano and University
of Colorado Denver Dean Daniel Howard.

Regents chair Mike Cheney says the bulk of deliberations about the candidates
will happen today.

There is a
fire burning in the Sandia mountains four miles southeast of Bernalillo.

The
fire, which has been named the Piedra Fire, is approximately 50 acres in size,
according to Fire Information Officer Karen Takai.

The fire, which began around
2:30 a.m. Thursday, is burning in ponderosa pine and fir. Several spot fires to
the east of the main fire have been located. The cause of the fire is unknown. Officials
say no structures are in danger and the cause of the blaze near the historic village of Placitas is unknown.

Hotshot crews and
Bureau of Indian Affairs crews are onsite, helicopters are making bucket drops,
and two air tankers and two air support modules are at the fire.

As a
precaution, Loop Road
has been closed has the Piedra Lisa trail at the south end off of the FR 333.